Potter's Raid through South Carolina: The Final Days of the Confederacy

by Tom Elmore

In April 1865, Richmond had fallen, and the Confederacy was dying. Robert E. Lee had surrendered his army to Ulysses S. Grant in Virginia. Joseph Johnston was in North Carolina negotiating the surrender of his army to William T. Sherman. But in South Carolina, General Edward Potter was leading 2,500 Union soldiers, including the famed African American regiment the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts, through the state's interior, intent on destroying the railroads and equipment. This is the story of Potter's Raid. Using rare and nearly forgotten accounts, historian Tom Elmore has compiled the story of this often-overlooked campaign that featured the last shots of the Civil War in the state that started it.

131 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 9, 2015

Reviews

[W. Charles Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very good book on a topic not often written about in Civil War literature. Potter’s Raid occurred between Lee evacuating Richmond and Johnston surrendering at Bennett Place. It has gotten lost in history. This book does a credible job of bringing the raid to light. It is well worth the read.

[William Olenick · Rating 4 out of 5]

First historical account of the raid that I am aware of. Due to a lack of reports or written accounts, it is hard to piece together what happened. The raid is finally hitting attention in the last 10 - 15 years.